Archive for the ‘Brian McLaren’ Tag

Help stem the rising tide of Islamophobia with the newest DVD curriculum from Living the Questions!

In Arabic, the word “fatwah” simply means “opinion” and, in a religious context, a fatwah is a spiritually instructive opinion, usually given as the answer to a question about religious law. Jesus was a master of the art of fatwah. His opinions, revered by Christians and Muslims alike, remain among the most beautiful and powerful fatwahs ever issued. Jesus pronounced what is perhaps the most famous of his fatwahs when a lawyer asked him to name the greatest of all the commandments. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

With violence and mayhem on the rise in the Middle East and public opinion of Islam plummeting, this is a critical time in both international affairs and for the day to day lives of Muslims everywhere. Much of what passes for information about Islam is weed-like disinformation rooted in ancient stereotypes and watered by fear — and disseminated by a multi-million dollar industry bent on stoking a growing Islamophobia.In LtQ’s new The Jesus Fatwah series, bothIslamic and Christian scholars offer reliable information about what Muslims believe, how they live out their faith, and how we can build relationships across the lines of faith.

Along with five half-hour sessions on one DVD disc, a downloadable participant guide and discussion questions are provided to foster both conversation and action. Written by the Rev. Ben Daniel, author of The Search for Truth about Islam: A Christian Pastor Separates Fact from Fiction, the participant guide lays out succinct conversation topics which are then expanded on by the video-based contributors.

In an age of increasing Islamophobia, we believe it’s especially important for Christians to take Jesus seriously and love their neighbors as they love themselves — especially the Muslim ones! The Jesus Fatwah can help you and your faith or discussion group begin the process of discovering who Muslims really are, what they actually believe, and how we can work together in working toward a world at peace.

Be one of the first to receive this important new series by pre-ordering today!

Order NOW through September 30th via the Living the Questions Website to receive our Special Pre-Publication Discount Price of $79.00(plus shipping/handling). Save $20 over the regular price of $99 (plus shipping/ handling). There is no coupon code to enter. Through September 30th, the discounted price will automatically be given at checkout.

Tragic as the downfall of CIA Director General David Petraeus might be, it’s just the symptom of a much larger problem: the “spirit of militarism.” The high rates of military divorces, suicides, and PTSD diagnoses seem to suggest that what we have asked our military to do over the last ten years has put severe strain on rank and file soldiers and their families.

The paramilitary SWAT team of the Louisiana State Police patrols post-Katrina New Orleans.

Whether or not the cracking up of the personal lives of soldiers and generals creates a practical national security challenge remains to be seen. But what is not in doubt is the spiritual question that is raised not only when the military solution seems to be perceived as the most effective choice for countries around the world, but when our whole culture becomes militarized — from our police forces to our childrens’ video games to our economy’s enslavement to the military-industrial complex.

Brian McLaren shares an incident from Jesus’ life that suggests that the “spirit of militarism” itself is the problem:

“I think of an encounter Jesus has with this fellow and he says, “What’s your name?” He calls out from him the name of what’s disturbing him. And the name he gives would be like today somebody saying, “Platoon” — because he uses a military word: Legion. So, what’s driving you crazy? What’s making you insane? “Platoon.” And so it’s this language of living in this world that’s so militarized. “This is what’s making me crazy.” And so that man is now restored to humanity from being oppressed by something inside of him, the spirit of militarism you might say.”

Jesus managed to cast out the demon that possessed the man (see Mark 5 and Luke 8). But today, the “spirit of militarism” seems all the more entrenched — and poised to not only define, but cripple our culture and our legacy.

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Brian McLaren is a pastor, emergent church leader, activist, and speaker and has been named one of the most influential Christian leaders in America. He is the author of numerous books, including Everything Must Change, A New Kind of Christianity, Naked Spirituality, and Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World.

The McLaren quote is an excerpt from the “Living the Questions” program, “Saving Jesus,” just one of many programs designed to spark conversation in questioning the dominant pop theology of Christian orthodoxy.

“I’m so grateful for Living the Questions. These progressive voices offer less rigid and more expansive approaches to Christian faith, and make room for people who practice critical thinking and question the gatekeepers. They help us see that questioning the gatekeepers is exactly what Jesus was all about.”

— Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity

“This has been sorely needed for years. Felten and Procter-Murphy provide an unusual clarity about the issues that commonly confuse and divide people in our churches today and then open a pathway to a more vital and even exciting way to approach the Christian faith in the 21st century.”

“Living the Questions,” THE BOOK!

Pastors David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy, along with the voices of top Bible scholars and church leaders—including Marcus Borg, Diana Butler Bass, John Dominic Crossan, Helen Prejean, and John Shelby Spong—provide a primer to a church movement that encourages every Christian to “live the questions” instead of “forcing the answers.”

Based on the bestselling DVD course, "Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity" tackles issues of faith, dogma, and controversial subjects that many churches are afraid to address. "Living the Questions" is the most comprehensive survey of progressive Christianity in existence today.

Available at www.livingthequestions.com, through online booksellers, and as a Kindle download!

“A welcome book that is bold (without being contentious) and courageous (without needing to be triumphant), Felten and Procter-Murphy give voice to a faith that provides a profound alternative to the dominant ideology of ‘American Christianity.’ Attention should be paid!”
— WALTER BRUEGGEMANN, PROFESSOR EMERITUS, COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

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